Scientist Training Programme

The Situational Judgement Test (SJT) forms part of the selection process for the Scientist Training Programme. More information about the assessment is available on the NSHCS website.

  • If you have applied for the STP in the last two years and have applied again through the same Oriel account, you will not receive Pearson VUE account details or login as you already have an account and your previous login details remain the same. If you are unable to access these, you can request these details selecting ‘Forgot my username’ and/or ‘Forgot my password’ on the right hand side of this page.
  • If you have not applied previously and do not have a Pearson VUE login, then, before the test window, you will receive 2 automated emails from Pearson VUE regarding your account that you will need in order to complete the SJT. These emails will provide your web username and temporary password. IMPORTANT: Your registration correspondence will be sent to the email account you entered on your Oriel application, note that the emails may appear in your junk files. Follow the instructions in the emails to complete your log in for the Pearson VUE webpages and await the opening of the SJT window (published on the NSHCS website). You will login to your account via the ‘Sign in’ button on the right-hand side of this page.

The assessment is entitled Scientist Training Programme SJT (exam series code NSHCS-SJT). Once you have signed into your account you will be able to take it only once, from the opening date up until the test deadline.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to the assessment (for example, extra time) and indicated this on your application form, you can view in Oriel if the request has been approved. Any approved extra time will automatically be added to your test. Extra time is not added to the tutorial or survey. The allotted time is displayed in the corner of the screen when you start the SJT section.

The assessment will begin with a short tutorial to familiarise you with the controls and layout of the screens and will end with a short survey. In addition, you can use the link on the right to access the sample test any time in advance of your test. When the test is launched, you will be presented with the following separately timed components:

NDA A non-disclosure agreement which you must accept in order to progress to the SJT test

(untimed)
Tutorial An optional tutorial to help you understand the basic functionality of the computer-based test and how to navigate through it and select your responses

(15 mins)
SJT You will be presented with 25 scenarios (with between 4 and 8 responses per scenario). Consider each response option independently from the other response options presented.

Further information about the SJT can be found at Your SJT – what to expect and how to prepare — Scientist Training Programme.

(50 mins)
Survey An optional survey to enable you to give feedback

(15 mins)

For applicants who have been awarded extra time, only the time allocated for the SJT section is amended:

  Standard Time Applicants with approved 25% additional time
Tutorial 15 mins 15 mins
SJT 50 mins 63 mins
Survey 15 mins 15 mins
Last updated 2023-12-06